


The Bards' Ballad

by Dedicate Kiwicrocus (cranky__crocus)



Series: SMACKDOWN '11 R2, R3, Final - CIRCLECEST [37]
Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen, Goldenlake, smackdown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-11
Updated: 2011-06-10
Packaged: 2017-10-20 07:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/210425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cranky__crocus/pseuds/Dedicate%20Kiwicrocus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Are you Briar Moss?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SMACKDOWN at Goldenlake: fiefgoldenlake.proboards.com
> 
> Randomosity.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you Briar Moss?”

            Briar blinked as he caught the words of the bard singing in the corner of the tavern. He thought he caught his name…

            “Excuse me?”

            He gazed up to find a dashing young gentle endeavouring to capture his attention.

            “Yes?” Briar responded.

            “Are you Briar Moss?”

            “Yes,” he repeated.

            “May I steal this seat here?”

            Briar shook his head. “Stealing implies it belongs to someone else. It’s yours.”

            The young man laughed and sat. He pointed to the bard in the corner. “We write and sing together. We wanted to craft a song about the overruling of marriage by kidnap in Namorn, and the part you, Daja Kisubo, Trisana Chandler and Sandrilene fa Toren played in bringing attention to the matter.”

            “Do you?” Briar murmured, grinning. “How would you like to travel some?”

            “Travelling is our trade,” the man answered. “Travel where?”

            “To our home.” The bard’s eyes widened. Briar laughed. “Though I suggest if you do, you address Trisana and Sandriline as Tris and Sandry.”

            The man swallowed. “Of course!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “They’ll have to stay for dinner then, won’t they?”

Briar knocked on the door of 6 Cheeseman House. He had a key, but chose not to use it. Two men shifted from foot to foot behind him, unsure of themselves. He shook his head and laughed. Bards. Weren’t they supposed to have some _faith?_

            Tris opened the door. “Briar, you great pillock, what have you done with your keys? I was resting.”

            “Good morning to you too, Tris, and isn’t it a fine one?” Briar grinned. “Is Daja in?”

            “Yes. It’s her house; I would hope you hadn’t forgotten _that_ in your travels.”

            “Is Sandry in?”

            “She will be this afternoon.”

            Briar smiled. “Brilliant. I have a delivery for us.”

            “You do?” Tris’ eyebrow rose. “What is it?”

            Briar gestured the two men forward. “Two eager bards.”

            She looked them up and down, then turned to stare at Briar through her blue-tinted glasses. Her eyebrow remained arched. “Briar, what are we going to do with _bards?_ ”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s the harm?”

Sandry stared at the two bards Briar had brought to the Cheeseman House. She herself had only just arrived for an afternoon visit.

            “The law passed? No more marriage contracts by kidnap?” she breathed as she stared between the two. The hope rang clear in her voice.

            “That it did. We hurried to Emelan, hoping to hear through the vine of the four Great Mages from Winding Circle who brought attention to the issue around the Pebbled Sea.”

            Sandry blushed. “Surely we didn’t do so much.” She grinned over at Daja and Tris. “But it’s a very happy occasion regardless!”

            “I still say you should have heard about it from your political network,” Tris commented with a frown, “but I’m happy for you, Sandry.”

            “They’ll have to stay for dinner then, won’t they?” Sandry questioned in a lilt, indicating the bards with her gaze. “They are honoured guests.”

            “Of course,” Daja agreed through a grin. “Make yourselves at home.”

            “Sometimes I think she forgets it isn’t hers,” Briar whispered to Tris, nudging his chin toward Sandry. Tris bit her lip on a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s the harm?”

“You want to write a _song_ about us?” Tris repeated, voice shrill. “About our time in Namorn?”

            “A ballad—musical poem,” the first bard clarified.

            “And about your time afterward, too,” his partner added. “The letters you all wrote and speeches Sandry gave…”

            Sandry flashed a smile. “I think it sounds marvellous.”

            “You would,” Tris replied with a frown. “I’m not so sure.”

            “What’s the harm?” Briar wondered. “Tavern ballads get around.”

            “How will our pasts be dealt with?” Daja questioned the musical poets. She poured her guests and family tea and then joined them at the kitchen table of the Cheeseman House.

            “However you want them dealt with,” the first bard answered eagerly. “We won’t include more than you would wish—though we can’t promise anything about adaptations. Those are out of our hands.”

            “And a ballad like this would see adaptations, I’m sure,” the second remarked.

            Sandry stared at Tris. For all that Sandry was a grown woman and not a dog, she surely looked more like an excited puppy than Little Bear ever had… Tris grumbled and crossed her arms. Briar turned to gaze at her. She shifted in her chair. Daja shrugged her shoulders.

            “Fine!” Tris exclaimed at last. “Fine, fine, you all win. But don’t go singing about my temper from Yanjing to Capchen or I’ll send you to Rosethorn, so you can witness a real temper in action.”

            The second bard turned to Briar and whispered excitedly, “Would she really…?”

            “Don’t get your hopes up,” the mage responded. “You don’t _want_ to go there; get your feet wet first.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. C:


End file.
